GPS Project - GPS (Goals, Plans, Steps) Project

GPS (Goals, Plans, Steps) Project and Presentation This project will provide you an opportunity to evaluate your choices based on your future goals. Choose either Option A (transfer) or Option B (enter career field after GTC).

Option A: Your goal is to obtain a bachelor degree by transferring to a four-year college/university after completing transfer classes or an associate degree from Greenville Tech.

• Choose a “primary” college and a “secondary” college. In other words, you might have your heart set on Clemson, but you also choose to look at Lander,

College of Charleston, or even Texas A&M.

• Evaluate your top two choices for transfer options

• Your choices DO NOT have to be in state, but make sure they are truly colleges

in which you are interested.

OR

Option B: Your goal is to complete an Associate in Applied Science (AAS)

degree from Greenville Technical College and begin working in your career

field

• Evaluate two career choices that you are interested in pursuing once you

complete an associate degree at Greenville Tech

• Choose a “primary” career and a “secondary” career related to your degree

path. In other words, you might have your heart set on becoming a Dental

Hygienist, but you are also considering becoming a Dental Assistant. Another

example would be you are pursuing a degree in Computer Technology and have

an interest in either becoming a Cyber Security analyst or a Software

developer.

General Directions for both Options A & B:

1. Create a PowerPoint presentation with a minimum of 11 slides (not including title slide and reference slide)

2. Title slide should include your name, major(s) and/or minors, and either the colleges/universities or the careers researched

3. Dedicate 5 slides for “primary” choice and 5 slides for “secondary” choice.

4. The 11th slide should be your decision slide. After evaluating your primary and secondary choices, which college/university (Option A) or career (Option B) is your top choice at this time and explain your rationale for making this decision.

5. The last slide should include all references used in the presentation.

References should be in MLA format.

6. Check your presentation using the grading rubric in Blackboard

7. You will NOT present this PowerPoint in class or online. Instead, you will need to type explanations in the notes pane at the bottom of each slide as if you were giving a live presentation.

8. Submit your presentation in Blackboard Content tips/ideas for Option A:

• Information about each college should include (but is not limited to): location, history, major fields of study

• Why this college is a good choice for your major

• Cost per year…include books, materials, meal plan, housing, transportation, and entertainment as applicable

• Review transfer guide…how long will it take to complete your chosen degree?

Chronologically show your order of courses you need to take per semester with a tentative graduation date

• Explain and contrast why your primary choice is better than your secondary choice; in other words, after your research, why is one college better than the other?

• Look at housing options…if you are off-campus, then list and show nearby options with relative/speculative costs (rent, utilities, etc.)

• Describe the “flavor” of the campus…what is the “vibe” of the college

• Describe the typical classroom setting as pertinent to your major…technology assessment and platforms? Learning management system used

• Analyze campus resources such as library/tutoring/labs

• Describe social aspects and opportunities…clubs, fraternities, sororities, organizations, work-study programs, etc.

• Describe athletic teams

Content tips/ideas for Option B:

• Outline the steps necessary to obtain this degree from Greenville Tech. For example, is there an application and acceptance process? Is there a weighted admissions application? What do you need to do before applying to be sure you are gaining the largest number of points possible?

• When can you apply to the program? Do you have to complete all Phase I classes before applying? Does the program accept applications in both fall and spring or is there a specific time of year that you have to apply?

• Once you have been accepted into the program, how long will the program take you to complete?

• Are there clinical classes that you have to take once you are in the program?

Can you work outside of school while completing clinical classes?

• Are there add on certificates that you can complete along with your associate’s degree?

• Are you required to complete a senior project or internship?

• What types of licensure or certification exams do you have to complete prior to entering the field?

• What is the job market like for your professions of interest?

• What it the course layout for the program?

• Once you complete the program, what careers will you qualify for?

• Choose two careers you are interested in pursuing. Include information about each career option such as education requirements, job tasks and responsibilities, licensure requirements

Creating the PowerPoint

• Use as many concrete visuals as you can. For example, if you have a slide about the library, try to use an actual picture of the library.

• Use bulleted, brief statements on presentation slides – no complete sentences or paragraphs. Think more visuals and less text.

• Since you are NOT presenting this PowerPoint and you are only using brief statements on the slides, you will need to type full explanations in the notes pane at the bottom of each PowerPoint slide. As you type the explanations in the notes panes, think about how you would explain the information on the slides if you were giving a live presentation.

• Text font size should be 24 point (no smaller than 18 point)

• Make sure color choices are pleasing and wording is easy to read